Rift of the NecroDancer Review (SketchyGalore)
Played the demo a bunch, and the full game is exactly what I wanted!
Rift of the Necrodancer feels like an homage to the rhythm games of the past few decades, things like DDR, Beatmania, and Guitar Hero. As such, it's quite a different experience than the original Necrodancer, and it's important to say at the top that this is a spinoff, not a continuation of the series. Anyone expecting this to be like the rhythm roguelike is likely to be disappointed.
But that doesn't mean it doesn't have the original's unique spirit... and difficulty. Traditional scrolling rhythm game notes are replaced by familiar Necrodancer baddies, and much like the original game, you start being completely thrown off by these patterns, and eventually feel like you've mastered an entirely new language. They managed to find the perfect balance between giving clear information and throwing visual curveballs at you, while managing to make it feel like a satisfying challenge rather than a gimmick.
This twist feels great (if daunting) at first, but it isn't until you really dig into the higher difficulties that you notice the real masterpiece of this game: the note charts. These were clearly designed by people who are VERY familiar with rhythm games, and they use the unique mechanics to make charts that feel amazing once you get into the flow. They also span a wide difficulty range from "never played a rhythm game before" to "humans shouldn't be able to process this information".
It also probably goes without saying that the music itself is incredible, featuring lots of Danny B and other remixes that feel appropriately Necrodancer. The art and aesthetic of everything is definitely more of a departure, but I like the cartoony feeling, and the animation is fantastic.
On top of all that, they took the time to throw in a complete set of side games that are an homage to another wonderful rhythm game series: Rhythm Tengoku (aka Rhythm Heaven). Much like the main game, these show a ton of love and familiarity for the games that inspired them. At the time of writing, I haven't played them all (or the boss fights, which seem to be an entirely different mechanic), but I'm absolutely delighted that they're there.
If you like rhythm games as a whole, are prepared for something different, and aren't expecting it to just play like Necrodancer 2, this is an easy recommendation. I'm really hoping it does well, so we can see more like it, as well as new songs and minigames in the future.